


Quest of a Child

by AikoIsari



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-03-22 17:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3737374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AikoIsari/pseuds/AikoIsari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Ash's mother falls ill in the months before his journey. Years pass. Ash leaves home, swearing to fulfill her dreams. He ends up in Unova in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the fall

He was getting ready for bed when he heard the sound of a thud. Then there was a smaller one. Their house was small, with only two people living in it. So sound would echo, and the thuds were full of dread. He pulled on his pajama pants and went downstairs. "Mom? Do you need some help?"

No answer.

"Mom?" Probably a pan. She was putting away the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. She said there was a long day at work ahead of her.

Still no answer.

He padded into the kitchen. His pajamas dangled at his ankles. He was growing taller. He looked around. No broken windows. The sink was running and the oven door was open.

His mother was lying on the floor. She was kind of still. Her chest rose and fell, slow slopes and curves. He moved closer. She didn't stir. Closer again. There was a puddle. Not water. It was too red.

The red was spreading from her head.

His eyes, without thinking, went to the oven. The red was on the oven.

"Mom…?"

Almost silence. Then a breath. A rasp, like a Scyther.

Ash wanted to move closer to shake her. His legs trembled, his hands vibrated.

He ran.

His feet bruised against dirt path, raw in the snow. If he had been in his right mind, he would have used the phone. Instead, he just kept running, and running, passing through snow piles and drenching his tattered pajamas. His mother was on the floor. Why wasn't she moving? Why was there red, no blood, blood? Why had she fallen?

Ambulance. Hospital. Influence. Help, need, need, need it-

The lab was always within running difference. There were so few houses and everyone would be asleep. The professor never slept. A Pokemon was always hurt or a trainer always calling. Even in the snow and storm, his phone would be working. It had to work; he had the best signal.

He reached the door. His feet were bleeding raw, bruised toes and red cheeks. He could barely stop shivering. There was no reason to care. Slam. Slam.

He almost hit his childhood enemy in the face. "Ash, what the he-"

"Mom needs an ambulance! She hit her head!" He babbled. "There was blood on the floor and the oven was open and she's not moving! Get outof my way Gary, I need to use your phone and I need it right now!" In a dim corner of his mind, Ash knew he was being hysterical but his mother was all he had and he couldn't lose her before he left, that wasn't  _fair_!

Gary touched his shoulder. It was a behavior that was like affection. "Come on, tell grandpa. He'll make them get down here. You're freezing."

The words didn't make sense, and maybe there were more, but Ash didn't hear them. He tuned out, going on complete autopilot and just thinking of that red stain.

There had been something else red imprinted in his mind. Couldn't remember. Didn't matter.

The red that pulled him from the stupor much later was emergency bright and with a familiar needle blazing white. He was wrapped in a large orange blanket. The hallway was dim and he was alone.

He could cry if he wanted. He wanted to.

He wanted his mother, but she was probably behind those two doors, and he didn't have the energy to get up and go to her. He wasn't sure of what he would find.

Ash sat dry-eyed, for hours, and waited for someone to tell him what was going on.


	2. the request

He worked.

His tenth birthday came and found Ash out in his mother's garden. It was cool outside and the sun was not quite beating down his back. Gardening was hard work at first. His mother wouldn't let him do most of it before now, sending him to school to learn and dream big kid dreams. He dreamed them still, in each till of the land.

"You're really not gonna go, huh?"

Ash blinked, wiping sweat from his forehead. Gary's stance was normally so cocky. Now it was tired, jerky. He was uncomfortable. He was getting ready to leave, Ash guessed, had been putting it off as long as possible. Ash shrugged. "Not now."

"She wants you to go."

Ash shrugged again. He wanted to go. "We can't always get what we want. I can go later, when I'm smarter, more careful."

The unspoken words hung in the air. Then:

"Hear from your old man?"

"Of course not." Ash laughed, the noise ringing hollow. "Why would we?"

Gary grunted. Another pregnant pause as Ash went for the watering can. "Gramps wanted to ask you for a favor."

"What?" Ash blinked. He wasn't that busy, his mother was still up and about for now, so it wasn't like he could refuse. The professor didn't usually ask for favors.

Gary scratched his head. "He found a couple of Pokemon under the house."

Ash winced. Pest control, wire chewing and burrowing holes, things that were expected from wild creatures, but someone would put a Pokemon down for it after a time. They'd had to do it for a Rattata once. He hated to remember that. "Is he trying not to report it?" Pallet Town, even after a couple hundred years, lacked a police system or any real discipline committee. It just wasn't worth it for so few people. It was too troublesome to have any pest people here.

Gary let out a sigh, spinning the Pokeball on his finger. His starter, Ash thought with no small amount of envy. The restaurant needed him,, Mom needed him, but still. "Something like that. They'd have to put them down and all. Wouldn't even let him rehabilitate them like he wants to. But if he registers them to someone..."

"Then they can be trained, educated, and all of that." Ash rubbed his sweaty neck. "And I'm here." He thought it over. "Let me tell Mom first. I don't want to bother her."

Gary shrugged. He doubted she would care; she loved Pokemon as much as Ash did and they could help around the house. If he could train them. Ash was a bit dumb, so maybe he couldn't... nah. He'd be fine. He would be all right.

Ash went back inside, putting the gardening tools in the bucket to clean. "Mom?"

"Living room!"

His chest cavity eased open when he heard her.  _This time, she..._  Ash grinned a bit as he entered the room to see recipes strewn over every available surface and his mother, curled in the now familiar red blanket on the sofa with a computer in her lap.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Making a cookbook," she said, smiling over the bandages. "The doctor suggested it."

_Something to do. Something to keep your mind off of stressful things._

Ash had not heard that, but at the time, he hadn't wanted to hear much. He peered over her head. "Is it looking good?" That was a dumb question, everything his mother conceived of was good. Duh.

"It's a lot," she countered with a giggle. "The restaurant doesn't do many of these anymore, so I don't remember all of the changes I made. Anyway, you look like you want to burst."

Ash wasn't vibrating like he usually did when he was excited, but his mother probably knew him as well as anyone. "The Professor said he found some Pokemon chewing wires and causing chaos-"

"And he wants you to take care of them," Mom finished. "Even though he has a corral full."

"Come on, Mom," Ash pleaded, widening his eyes and clasping his hands together. "If I'm at the restaurant, no one will keep you company. And besides, it'll be experience! Then I can go on my journey and not even have to wait!"

Mom sighed. "Oh, Ash..." She winked. "How dare you twist my arm that way?"

Ash hugged her as tightly as he was allowed, thanking her in a babble. Then he bolted from the house and Delia let out another sigh.

"Oh Ash..."


	3. the friends

Ash found a few things out about his Pokemon in a pretty short time.

The first was that Growlithe wasn't too bad, once given gently cooked meat. In fact, he was downright helpful. He kept Mom company.

The second thing was that the Pikachu was not a fan of humans.

As he thought about that, said Pikachu turned over in his basket. Ash let out a mental sigh. He sure was stubborn.

"Just don't fry my bike, okay?"

"Chu."

"I'm not gonna make you do anything, promise.

Pikachu made another irritable squeak, but rolled over. Ash would have pet him if he wasn't positive the critter would fry his brain for trying. "Kay, be right back." He pulled a takeout container from the back of the bike and headed to the door.

The professor may have asked the wrong guy to keep him... He'd been at the mouse for two weeks and he'd just managed to get the thing to not shock him whenever he said hello. It improved his dodging anyway.

Ash shook it off. He just needed to keep at it! Pikachu was cute and chubby and determined and Ash could respect that.

He knocked at the door. "Excuse me. Miss Mia! Your delivery!"

It took a few minutes but the door swung open. "Ash, good morning." The elderly woman reached out and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "My breakfast? So soon?"

Ash flushed. It was weird. He had grown up thinking being a Pokemon master would get him all the praise in the world, but… here he was, doing ordinary stuff. "Well, I was up making berry juice, so I figured I should go ahead."

"Sweet boy."

Ash scratched his head, embarrassed. "Eheh, well…" They chatted for a few moments more before Ash heard a loud crash. They turned and Pikachu was glaring daggers at a large brown rat. It bared its overgrown teeth. Pikachu just glared, cheeks sparking.

"Uh oh…" Ash hurried from the porch. "Have a good day, Miss Mia! Pikachu, what are you doing?" He moved closer, noting that one of the fruit boxes was a little ajar. The Raticate moved closer, whipping its tail right into Pikachu's face. Pikachu glared and sank his teeth into it. The rat shrieked, throwing him aside. Pikachu rolled and picked himself up.

Pikachu squeaked what were probably obscentities, yowling and glaring. Ash looked between them, then he grinned. This was a Pokemon battle, wasn't it? Maybe this would make Pikachu happy! It was that or lose some fruit, which he didn't want. "Hey, Pikachu, can you shock him?" Pikachu stared at him, bewildered. Ash laughed. "Come on, you're all tough and cute! I know you can beat him!"

The mouse turned, cheeks sparked, and electricity burst free. The raticate jumped aside and lunged to tackle.

"Hit him in the face! The face!"

Wham. Pikachu hit him with his tail, then leaped up. His cheeks sparked and the Thundershock went straight down. The rat shrieked in pain and fell back.

Ash shouted triumph, pumping his fist once before catching Pikachu. "That was so cool! You blew him up! Yeah!"

Pikachu tensed at the human arms around him, but slowly released the tension coiling in his muscles. Ash just kept hugging his Pokemon until the Raticate let out a low groan of pain. It whimpered. Ash paused and knelt to pick up his bike. "Hey Pikachu," he said, voice thoughtful. "Can you sit on my shoulder for a bit? We'll take this fella up to the professor. I gotta drop off these boxes anyhow."

Pikachu gave a disapproving squeak.

Ash grinned. "Well, we can't just leave him here."

"Pika."

"Be nice." Ash blinked. He swore he had understood that. He waited. What would his Pokemon do now? Then Pikachu sighed, climbing the slow go up to his head. Ash grinned and knelt to lift up the squirming Raticate. It scratched his skin and he pouted. "Easy!" he said. "We're gonna take you to get healed and get some food, so you don't have to steal anymore, okay?" He placed him in the basket and got on, beginning to pedal.

"Hey, Pikachu?"

Pikachu looked down over his head. "Chu?"

"You, me, Growlithe, we're gonna go on a super cool adventure someday. Next time, I won't stop you from making our enemies barbeque, okay?"

Pikachu sat back and sighed. "Chu."

"See, that's fun, right?"

"Pikapi. Pika."

"I'm not gonna hit the fence!"


	4. the end

The time passed in a clipped sort of way. One day he'd be gardening and the next going over profits and in the very same afternoon brushing his mother's hair because it was getting harder for her and the  _very next_  bussing tables.

Until Pikachu came to get him, nearly knocking Growlithe from his careful grabbing of the order pad.

"Pikapi!" he shouted in a voice that was more frantic than a racing heart.

Ash dropped his things and ran. He was lucky he wasn't sued for it.

The ambulance had been called by his mother's alert system, something the professor had insisted she get after the more recent falls. Not that his mother had wanted to, but Ash, after five years of looking after his progressively declining mother, had figured out how to convince her it was a good idea.

Ash went inside just long enough to lock the house up and jumped onto his bike. Perhaps it was the severity of the situation, but Growlithe had pulled himself into a Pokeball before Ash could even pick his up. Pikachu, ever the claustrophobic one, simply leaped into the basket and gestured. Ash grimaced. He had to either bike to Viridian or get a ride from the professor. Either way, he bolted.

* * *

His mother's room was quiet. The doctors came in and out in intervals, passing him. Ash just sat quietly. He wasn't an adult, he legally couldn't do what the professor was doing, what the adults were talking about. Not that he wanted to. His place, until the end, was with his mother. She slept on, breathing soft and painful.

Gary came in. His clothes were torn from probably flying here from a random forest. He had a slightly crazed look as he sat down. "Gramps is trying to reach your dad."

Ash looked up. That was a bad start to the conversation. "My dad has a phone?" Gary shrugged and Ash shook his head. "He's probably on some big part of the adventure. Don't worry about it."

"I'm going to." Gary reached out and mussed Growlithe's fur. The pup yawned. "She was your mom, Ash. It's gonna suck."

Ash smiled a bit, but it was more lip than teeth and prompted him to take her hand again. They fell quiet for a while. Pikachu was curled up near his mother's neck. The doctors had protested, but Pikachu had bitten the first one that had tried to pull him away. The sight would have made her laugh if she had been awake.

"They're just going to make sure she's comfortable," he said after a while. "A disease is a disease and some of them are still fatal no matter what…"

"Ash…" Gary started but Ash went on.

"And they said she'll probably wake up a couple more times and then that'll be it and that'll be it because she stays awake too long and it'll hurt too much and then they said-"

"Ash."

"I'm gonna need to go to therapy because losing a loved one and lacking the other parent is wrong and if I don't go on a trainer journey I go to a home unless someone takes charge and who would take charge of me-"

Gary sighed and pulled Ash over into a hug. His friend hadn't even noticed he was crying the whole time, acting like he was holding it together when he wasn't.

Gary remembered the passing of his parents better than people thought he did. The difference was that he had known, clear as day, that he was Grandpa's, and so he wasn't going anywhere he didn't want to go. Ash didn't know that for sure, so it was up to Gary to remind him and keep him from doing something dumb.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Delia Ketchum blearily open her eyes, squeezing her son's hand. Over his shoulder, he managed a smile.

So did she.

Then she closed her eyes again, and drifted off once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for all of the support, everyone! This fic is a lot of fun. Going to be a bit more before we are in Unova, but all things considered, I couldn't just have Ash run off and leave everything behind that fast. Not realistic. So, just a couple more weeks, and we'll be off! Until then, please review if you've made it all the way through! I will probably just call her Hilda, as odd of a name as that is to write. Anyway, I'm off!


	5. the will

The day after the funeral was overcast, thunderheads threatening to burst. Ash woke to a tongue gently washing his face, Growlithe poking him with his nose. He opened his eyes and managed a laugh. "Morning..."

Growlithe barked, waving an envelope in his face. Ash picked it up, petting Growlithe again as he sat up. Growlithe rolled onto his back with pathetic whines and Ash chortled again. "Love you too, you big baby..." He yawned. "Where's Pikachu?"

Growlithe made a grunting bark of a noise and pointed with his nose. Ash pet him absently. The days after his mother's death had been endless work for the three of them. Any spare moments the Pokemon had had been spent on his mother's bed or at the window, turning most visitors away with sparking cheeks and bared fangs. Ash had scolded them a little, but let it go after that. They just loved him, that's all.

There was a loud crash.

Panic hit in before exasperation. These two hadn't broken anything in years. What the heck? Please don't let it be glass, he had a house inspection in two days to prove he could keep it, please don't let him have to be paranoid and shake out the rugs more than he already had to.

Growlithe yipped at Ash's heels as they entered the living room. Pikachu squeaked a 'chu' of indignation in his direction, rubbing his head.

"What were you doing?" Ash tried not to laugh as he examined the rest of the room. No glass everywhere, just a panel of the wood on the fireplace... which Pikachu hadn't dodged.

Fragile speedster without the speed, he guessed. He peered at the space for the panel. He'd need better glue to put this back on and be able to leave it alone.

Pikachu nudged his leg and pointed at the looked at it. Barely large enough for his mother's hand, let alone his. But he tried it anyway, reaching until his fingers ached and wrapped around paper. He pulled it free, revealing an envelope covered in flecks of cinderblock. The envelope had his mother's handwriting.

Ash swallowed. There was an official will, she had made it last year. What was this then? He went and sat down, letting Growlithe and Pikachu jump to see it from their places on the squishy armchair.

" _Dear Ash,_

_I don't know how to begin this letter, though I'm going to guess you found this after I died. You're fifteen years old. I'm still unhappy I had to go before I saw you become the master you want to be. But I didn't get to go soon enough for you to realize that life can cbe very hard. I'm sorry you had to learn it from me._

_As you've probably guessed, I've left you everything. The house, the restaurant, the contacts, the royalties to the cookbook, everything. I couldn't have left it to your father even if I wanted to. We know how hard he is to find. He's not a bad man, Ash."_

Ash scoffed, then felt sickened with himself. He shouldn't mock that. His mother loved his dad, even if his dad wasn't around enough to prove it.

" _Everyone wants to be a Pokemon Master of some kind for at least a little while. I did too, you know. Then the family business came along. then your dear old man came along. Then there was you. I don't regret not going. You're always going to be my world, Ash._

_But I won't be yours anymore._

_In this envelope is a business card to a family friend of mind. She is a therapist. I know how the professor feels about them. Even so, I want you to go. I don't want you to suffer and have nobody to talk to. Then, I want you to leave Pallet. The diner can handle itself. You need to learn how to handle yourself. Go out there and become a champion for the both of us._

_I'm sorry for this, Ash. Even if you fall, I know you'll get back up. You're my son, and we're too stubborn to quit. I'm proud of you for all you've done for me. You gave up your dream to take care of your silly mom and her life and grew up even more than I ever thought possible. Now, you have to live, no matter what it takes._

_Love, Mom_

_PS: Growlithe, Pikachu, Ash is your responsibility now, do you understand?"_

The last words came out choked and painful and Ash swallowed the lump in his throat twice more before he cried. His Pokemon curled around him like warm comforters and let him weep into their fur.

"I promise, Mom," he murmured. "I promise, guys. We're gonna be great… we're gonna get more and more partners and make her proud. We'll be the best. We've gotta... we will…"

Pikachu pulled Ash's hat over his face in a gesture of warmth as Growlithe proceeded to wash Ash's face for the second time that day.

Today was going to be brutal.


	6. the warning

"I finally finished sorting the accounts out yesterday," Ash finished to the Ralts. Maria, his therapist, watched him over her clipboard. Ash tried to grin at her, but ended up looking at the Ralts instead. It was what he was supposed to do, because Ralts would know his feelings before he acknowledged them.

He still thought he should be talking to his therapist.

Ash decided to plow on, because this part was kinda boring but important. Why were so many important things so boring? "They were easier than I thought, cause Mom had a lot of notes and the accountant didn't sneer or things like that-"

A buzzer went off on Maria's desk and she turned it off. Well, that was lucky. Ash looked over at her now and the Ralts hopped into his lap. Ash suppressed a laugh. His Pokemon still got jealous of Ralts for some reason. She was part of the family now though. They'd get used to her. Hopefully.

Maria curled a red lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. "You're leaving in a couple of days, aren't you?"

Ash nodded. "Everyone has their jobs and stuff, and I got a new Pokegear so they're gonna call me if stuff happens and everything! The professor got me a plane ticket to Unova for the day after tomorrow." He bounced in his seat, a habit he had thought he'd outgrown after being constantly told to sit up straight and behave myself, but he guess he hadn't yet. Oh well.

"That's a long trip." She laughed. "Planning against boredom?"

"Uhh..." Ash flushed. He had a card deck and a book..., but his attention span still wasn't the best. "I'm sure the Pokemon will keep me busy." Ralts cooed and he laughed.

"Possible," Maria mused, smile making her lips twitch. "Ralts will be with you, correct?"

"Mm." Maria nodded at this, and her face shifted to a troubled frown. Ash blinked at the sober look. "What is it, ma'am?"

"You got a letter from your father. It was in Professor Oak's mailbox."

Ash straightened in his chair. "Dad?" The word felt unfamiliar on his tongue. Why would he really say it? He schooled his expression to less freaked, but the gentle glow of Ralts' horns told the truth, or at least a part of it. Why wasn't he called about this? He had seen the professor on the phone this morning on trainer essentials, to make sure he'd packed right. "What... what did he want?"

Maria slid the envelope over. "I wanted to read it, but i didn't think it right."

Ash gave it a nervous look, then slit it with his nail. Growlithe would have burned it by now. Ralts made little chirping noises. He scanned it and looked puzzled.

"Um... Maria?" He turned the paper over to her. "What do you know about Team Plasma?"

At the look of disdain, he guessed it was nothing good.

* * *

"So... they're a Pokemon rights group?"

Ash had only ended up more confused after Maria's explanation. Thus, with his three Pokemon helping with dinner, he had decided to ask the Professor. Oak looked just as disgruntled, so he guessed it still wasn't a good thing, whatever it was.

The elder cleared his throat. "Put simply, yes. On the outside. They are mostly stationed in Unova, but there have been emissaries popping up everywhere in recent years. You've seen on the news, correct? Those abuse cases..."

"Well, yeah," Ash nodded. He'd become fond of the radio in recent years, at least for the weather. "But there haven't been as many reported. Are they helping?"

"The optimistic would like to think so," Oak said, blowing on his rice. Ash took the bowl Pikachu had pushed across the counter and set to work. "However, I'm not certain. What little they do outside of speeches and publicity events is very disquieting. The problem is that no one can prove it. You've seen the story on the "Ditto clones", correct?"

"Yeah." Ash remembered that one really well. Some people had decided the rarity of Ditto was too frustrating and tried a cloning thing. It hadn't gone well. "Didn't the perpetrators get arrested?"

"Yes, but not after being in a hospital for around a week, not long after Plasma had declared to find those criminals and bring them to justice." The man sighed. "It's circumstantial but we can't rule out the idea."

Ash sighed. "So... why do you think Dad would send me a letter about it?"

Oak grimaced. "Plasma has a thinly-veiled contempt for Pokemon trainers. To them, battles are abuse."

Pikachu heard that and let out a squeak of derision, chittering at Growlithe who was on the floor and carefully roasting meat on a pan. Ash really needed to remember how he had taught him that. It was patience or something. Growlithe wagged his tail at Ash.

Ash frowned, looking confused. "But... Pokemon battle all the time. Like, territory, and food, and for mates if they take one, and to evolve, and for fun, and stuff..."

Oak shook his head. "You are preaching to the choir, Ash. But the fact that they are captured implies to them that Pokemon are put on display, and it's unforgivable."

"That's..." Ash struggled for words. "Kinda hypocritical. Cause they're really just using Pokemon too, right?"

"Most of them, yes." The elderly professor sighed. "I suppose your father is just telling you to be careful. Unova isn't safe."

Ash smiled and this look was thin and bitter. "But nowhere is by that logic. The least he could have done was call me or come home." At the sound of the dinging microwave, followed by Ralts' cooing, he grinned. "Those are my cues, I guess. I'll be careful!"

"No, you won't," Oak said, somehow continuing to smile. "Have a good night, Ash."

"You too, Professor."

The call ended and Ash wiped his eyes. What was with family and bringing up heart pain?

He went to stir the vegetables.


	7. the beginning

Growlithe bared his teeth at the window and whimpered. Ash patted the white tuft of fur in sympathy. "You could go back into the Pokeball." The pup bared his teeth and whined. "I'll be fine. Pikachu's always out." Pikachu made a mocking face at the dog, who growled. Ash groaned. "Don't fight, you guys..."

They both pouted at him and he tried not to laugh. "Come on, for the plane's sake, okay?" Growlithe let out another whine, but the plane rocked and he backpedaled into his Pokeball. Pikachu squeaked a laugh and curled up against the seat again.

Ash fingered Ralts' ball at his neck and sighed. It grew warm at the touch and he traced the purple grooves. Designed for therapy, this ball let Ralts sense him from the inside, so she could come out when he was distressed. Ash had wondered why these weren't reverse engineered so humans could tell the same thing.

Maria had smiled and said. "Some trainer you are if you can't tell normally."

Fair comment.

He looked out the window, taking the flight attendant's offered bag of pretzels. This flight was  _long_ , and he had a ready made list of long days. Ash sighed and pulled his hat over his eyes.

Maybe he should take a leaf from Pikachu's book and nap. Not that he wasn't excited, but he wouldn't get to start his journey right until tomorrow, and those Plasma people weren't going to be cakewalks... and he had to become the champion. Maybe not the best in the world, he didn't know how, but he could become something. The champion of Unova was something.

Ash was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he fell asleep.

When he woke, the sky had grown darker. Pikachu was staring out the window. His beady eyes were fixed on the swirling clouds. He began to let out tiny growls and Ash tensed. The other passengers were staring at the clouds. Some were even preparing to unbuckle their seatbelts despite protests from the attendants.

Blue electricity began to spark in the clouds above and below. Over the crackling of the intercom, the pilot warned for impact.

The air opened and a great roar shook the plane. Someone screamed. Ashe wrapped his arms around Pikachu and Growlithe's ball. Another roar and in the back of his mind's eye burst the vision of black scales and red eyes.

 _"You,"_ it screamed and the sky burst with rain and lightning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay there! Meant to post it Tuesday but it got too late.


	8. the dragon

Ash felt the plane shudder. Above it, the storm continued. His head throbbed, which was not helped by someone screaming nearby. There was a small burst of static near his ears and the pilot spoke. Her voice shook a little, but that was all.

_"We-We are now reaching Unova airspace. Please prepare for some slight turbulence as we make our descent."_

Ash considered slight a severe understatement

The roar echoed and Pikachu covered his long ears as best as he could with his paws.

 _"You,"_  the dragon screamed.  _"Why have you come?"_

Ash looked around. No one seemed to notice the voice. All they heard was the screams and cries of thunder by the sounds of things. "Me?' He whispered. Pikachu bristled. He didn't like this. He didn't like storms that didn't make sense.

 _"Leave!"_  The voice thundered.  _"You must not be here!"_

"Why?"

 _"The war..."_  it whispered, as much as the voice seemed capable of whispering.  _"The war... go back!"_

The wind shook as the plane began to descend. One bolt struck the wing and it bucked. Ash froze. He hadn't even started the journey and he was going to end up the water? His fingers went to the ball around his neck. Ralts burst out, horns glowing in fear and worry.

"C-can you," he cursed his voice for shaking. "Use Psychic on the wing of the plane?" Ralts moved fast across his lap to one of the windows. She nodded fast and her horns glowed brighter. The steep fall started to ease, but at Ralts' whimper Ash unbuckled himself, moving towards his fellow passengers and ignoring the hands of a flight attendant. "Any of you guys have Psychic Pokemon? We need help stabilizing the plane. Them and if there's a gap, some flying Pokemon. Is there anybody?"

There was quiet, then the sound of Pokeballs popping open. They were all staring at him, frightened but attentive. They didn't have time not to be, he guessed. "Okay, we need them and some electric types. That lightning could hit again. So the electric ones will help Pikachu absorb the lightning." He didn't really want to explain. "Everyone stay in your seats. We need the door open." They moved fast and soon an attendant was unlocking the door. Ash scrambled back, Pikachu and Ralts each on a shoulder. At the rush of wind, the birds took off, smaller Pokemon on their backs. The attendant drew back for a harness. Pikachu leaped onto a Pidgeot and Ash made his way forward, Ralts now in his free arm.

"Kid, get back." He ignored them. A little window wasn't enough. He couldn't see. The land was growing nearer. They just had to get past this stretch of-

_Crash!_

The plane shook, and he fell. Ralts squeaked and lost grip on the plane wing. It didn't fall, but Ash did. She struggled to help him float. Pikachu squeaked, but kept attacking lightning bolts.

Ralts whimpered, and his fall slowed. Ash breathed a small sigh. "Easy Ralts," he murmured. "We've got this. Just take it slow." She let out a pained whimper, but obeyed, slowly heading towards the water.

Then, she coughed, and lost control. The wind flew by, as if trying to scoop them up. Ash shut his eyes, returning Ralts to her ball. That would save her and Growlithe at least.

A pair of large talons latched onto his back and shoulders. When the sensation of falling faded, he looked up to see a bird with tiny wings staring down at him with big black eyes.

"Ruff," it chirped.

"Nice catch, Rufflet!" A girl flew up to them, brown hair a mess in the wind. She grinned at him. "Nice fall!" She bounced in the grip of the large bird holding her, causing a disgruntled squawk. "Oh hush up Brav!" She grinned at Ash. "You all right there stranger? Fell from a plane and all!"

Ash just kept staring, dumbfounded. He shook his head. "Thanks for the save there, uh..."

"Hilda," she said with a wink. "Hilda Gavin. Nice to meet ya!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now, how's that for a first meeting? Gavin is the Celtic form of French Gauvain, meaning either "May hawk" or "white hawk". Does it fit Hilda? I haven't read many Hilda fics, I don't really think any, actually, so here is my Hilda! Hope she works for you guys!


	9. the rival

Ash feels the wind rustling his hair as the Pokemon sets him down at the edge of the airport landing area. Hilda drops next to him seconds later, grabbing her hat out of the air.

"That was a nice ride huh?" She patted dust from her hat. "Rufflet and I have been trainin' together for ages with Mum and her partners. Speakin' of that, Rufflet, go on up with Pilot and help out guidin' that plane!"

Rufflet chirped and took off, followed by the larger bird. Ash stared. "You've managed to train both of those birds?" The little one didn't seem too bad, but that evolved one was huge.

Hilda shook her head. "Nope, Pilot's mom's. I just snatched her when I saw the storm and stuff. Speakin of which..." she looked around. "I'mma gonna run now! Can you get Rufflet for me? Thanks!" She bolted and when the doors behind him slid open, he thought he could guess why.

"Hilda Gavin-White! Just where do you think you're going?"

Hilda barely took the chance to yell something at the person behind Ash, streaking towards the trees. The woman stopped and grimaced. "That girl... really, getting involved like this." She turned to Ash. "Are you all right, lad? I saw you falling there?"

The lines on her face were too much like his mothers as the years went on and he hurried to smile. "Y-yeah, the Pokemon got to me just in time. Thank you." Speaking of which, he let out his other two, which immediately strike him with affection and fear. He knelt to examine them and looked to the storm. Was it his imagination, or was the lightning no longer attacking the ship? Was it... cause of him after all?

He looked at Ralts. "Can you get Pikachu?"

Ralts closed her eyes and Pikachu popped into view seconds later. Ash let Pikachu lick his fingers before looking up. "All right, get the other psychic Pokemon to shut the door." He looked to Growlithe. "Fire Spin in the air!"

Growlithe barked and chased his tail and then lifted himself to his haunches and blew a tall tornado of fire. Ash knew it wouldn't be much, but the Pokemon would see it and as long as the pilots could see them, that would be enough.

The air shuddered once more and a whisper touched his heart as the plane grew closer, but Ash was so relieved to be alive that he didn't quite care.

_Made it, Mom. Step one. Now, to fight._

...

"I swear, we can't leave you alone for more than a few minutes now can we Ash?"

Ash pouted, stroking Growlithe's fur. "It's not like I get into this mess on purpose, Gary."

"You sure about that?" Gary brushed his labcoat back. "Anyone dead?"

Ash rolled his eyes at him. "Lots of people in shock, some missing luggage, that plane is going to need an overhaul."

"And you're telling me you heard a voice."

Ash winced. He almost hadn't told him. Hearing voices was never a good sign if it was yours. It was even worse if it was someone else's. "Yeah, and I think whoever it was caused the storm."

"Telepathy," Gary muttered. He rumpled his hair into further disarray and Ash frowned. He straightened. "Ash, do me a favor. Look into Unova legends, okay? And get back to me. If you were getting blasted by it for no real reason or not, we're looking into it. Ask the professor when you meet her."

Ash nodded. "Thanks Gary, I'll call you at the next town."

"You'd better."

"Hey, Ash!" Hilda, who had undergone some sort of unspoken punishment at the hands of her mother only a few minutes before, went up to him. "Come on, you nearly died! You need to eat something."

Ash snorted before he could help it. It was true. He was hungry.

Judging by the way Growlithe had shot off toward the table, so were his Pokemon.

He had survived today. Now he just had to keep surviving tomorrow.


	10. the speech

A few days later, Ash chased Growlithe through the tall grass, watching him frighten some Lillipups, or that's what the Pokedex said they were. Growlithe yipped at one, growling and eyes burning.

"Come on, leave them alone." Ash reached and patted the white tuft. "Your place in the pack is safe, I promise." Growlithe whined, yipping all the louder as Ash pulled out a Pokeball. One of the Lillipup had been left behind, and was wiggling to stand despite both the burn and the size of its head. He hesitated. What if the pack came back? Well, he couldn't just leave it there. He tossed the Pokeball and sucked in the Lillipup. It clicked and went still. Pikachu brought the ball over and Ash pocketed it. He would have to put the critter in the Pokemon Center before sending him to the Professor for an examination. He'd get on great with the Raticate. Or...

"Ash! Come on!"

Aah straightened. "No! You slow down!"

Hilda rolled her eyes, bouncing from foot to foot. 'The professor's flighty! If you want to talk to her, you're gonna have to catch her! C'mon!"

Ash laughed and jogged over, his Pokemon at his heels. "You should have listened to your mom about the Nanab Jelly."

Hilda thought about this, then grinned. "Naaahhh."

The distance between Nuvema and Accumula Town was pretty short. It made route one seem like Victory Road to Ash. He tried not to yawn.

Hilda poked his cheek. "Don't fall asleep walking, mmkay? There's a speech going on ahead. It's Plasma. They're all "don't use Pokeballs, it's indecent and cruel!" Even though they use 'em too." Hilda shook her head. "Hypocrites."

Ash snorted, but on the inside, curiosity made his stomach churn. He'd heard nothing but bad about these guys from day one. What were they going to look like: hulks of Team Rocket?

As it turned out, the crowd looked like they had gone to a cosplay convention and hadn't packed a spare set of clothes. All knight-looking.

"That is some blatant symbolism," Ash muttered. Pikachu scoffed. As they drew closer, Ralts' Pokeball began to shake around his neck. Ash wrapped his hand around it and glanced at Hilda. "So, how bad are these guys?"

Hilda shrugged and flopped onto the bench. "Depends on who you are. They are pretty passionate."

Ash sat beside her. "Like you?"

"Get that from just a few days, didja?" She tossed her hair behind her hat. "At least I don't cause riots."

"True."

The most outrageously dressed of them all, a man with green hair, stepped up to the podium. Ash's eyes flicked to the crowd. Some seemed interested, others were looking away, even pointedly walking away. Ouch. Regardless, he tapped the microphone and started to speak.

"Good morning, citizens of Accumula Town. My apologies for taking up your time, but my organization and I felt it prudent to address you on this fine day. Days ago, a plane from Kanto was struck by an unusual storm."

Pikachu quivered and Ash returned a bristling Growlithe.

"The weather came suddenly and the passengers luckily all escaped with their lives." The man paused. "Due to the strength, color, and position of the lightning, we believe this storm was caused by the Legendary Pokemon Zekrom."

The crowd rippled and Hilda blinked. "That don't make any sense. Thundurus can do that too." Her Rufflet pecked her head to keep her quiet.

Ash stared up at the speaker, eyes riveted and fingers clenched into his jeans.

"This possibility comes from the mysterious disappearance of the Dark Stone from Nacrene Museum months before. Thundurus' flight pattern was also recorded as being far towards Castelia at the time. And as you all know, most Pokemon are not so precise with their attacks. Now, I'm sure you all wonder why our Zekrom, protector of ideals, keeper of hopes, would attack a plane full of people, some of them children, our hopes of tomorrow."

This pause was dramatic, and Ash stiffened as the red eyes scanned the crowd. Was he imagining things, or was that guy looking at him?

"It's simple!" He spread his arms. "Those people are trainers, wishing to infect us with the disease of holding Pokemon to our will. Zekrom has seized upon our ideal and wishes to carry it out. Those trainers basked in the mercy of our guardian, and came out quite fortuitous." Another pause, and the ferocity that had tinged his face ebbed, replaced with a wan smile.

"That said, he surely went too far. There was no need for such violence. We, as a people, can educate them, teach them the necessity of liberation."

Hilda snorted.

"For their Pokemon must have suffered with the efforts to lead them to safety, in order to rescue the one from an untimely death. Did they do such things out of love or of fear? Think on this dear citizens, as those people pass through here. They too must seek true understanding of Pokemon as you have with us. Thank you."

Ash barely heard the applause. Blood rang in his ears.

These people were  _insane_.


	11. the speaker

Ash didn't immediately move from the bench. He just watched the stage get packed up like a bag lunch, leaving nothing but grooves in the environment they were claiming they would be saving. Old men and their grandchildren were murmuring to each other as the silver-dressed psychos worked dutifully on disassembling their banners and the microphone and leading their leader away in a mob. He felt a strange numbness in his chest. Should he really have come to this nuthouse?

"You all right?" Hilda leaned over to look at him. Ash blinked slowly, shaking himself from his daze.

"Do you…" He cast his gaze around the well-kept streets and beautiful buildings, built brick by brick with human and Pokemon unity, he assumed. "Do you agree with them?"

Hilda looked confused, then she let out a snort. "Hell no." She sat back, eyes thoughtful. "I mean, if they weren't crazy as Giratina, sure, I'd think about it some." She reached to stroke her Rufflet's feathery down. "Cause sometimes, I mean, I hate Pokeballs. I know these guys don't usually feel the claustrophobia-"

Pikachu scoffed and Hilda grinned at him. Ash muffled a snort, examining a few customers carrying coffee out of a small, dingy cafe.

"Anyway, they usually don't but I mean, I would, I think, and being all pixelated don't sound fun or well or anythin', and sometimes I think we could do without them." She shrugged her shoulders. "But that's not what they're thinkin' about, I know. They want no trainers, no League, no gyms, and they don't give us… a fall back plan. Like," she waved her arms. "The  _truce_  has been the _truce_  since Arceus was recorded. Humans and Pokemon chave always worked together. They've had to, ya know."

The truce, the pact between the humans and Pokemon after the banishment of the instant blade and timeless armor, one of the first "old tales" any kid  _anywhere_  ever learned when they were preparing to become a trainer.

Ash nodded at the reference, scratching Pikachu's ears. "Yeah, I… I don't like what they say at all. We need regulations somehow, cause if we don't have them, there aren't any battling rules, and then everybody could just kill everybody, you know? And my partners could have been put down for chewing up wires or burning things when they weren't thinking about it and if we went the way Plasma did-"

"Are you both talking about the speech?"

They look up, Ash squinting under his hat. A tall young man -Ash can't help but think of him almost as a  _boy_  from the way he stands there, noodle limbs and all - is looming over them. His blue eyes seems stuck in this owlishly wide stare, like a Hoothoot who hasn't learned to fly yet.

Ash remained struck dumb for another minute or so. Then he cleared his throat. "Yeah, um, we are. Who are you?"

"N. The speech was fascinating, wasn't it?" His words came out in a rush, the syllables slipping together somehow. N barely blinked. "Such fool humans. They shouldn't have stepped on sacred ground with their trainer running shoes and Pokeballs hanging from their necks like that. It's dangerous."

"Life is dangerous," Hilda said, arching an eyebrow as Ash unconsciously played with the one on his own neck. "And what, are you saying all of the Association is bad?"

"Of course!" N bobbed his head and his hat, too big like his clothes, almost drooped over his pointed face. "Pokemon's full potential is limited under them, they're tamed like the animals of old, you know. The Pokeball conditions them, like the badges. That's horrible, is it not?"

Pikachu squeaked what was probably a curse word. N looked down at him.

"You only say that because you've been brainwashed." Monotone, but his words went even faster. Ash almost wanted to ask him to repeat himself, then he figured he didn't want to know what N was saying anyway. He was more curious about something else.

"You could understand Pikachu?" He looked around. In the short amount of time he'd been here, he couldn't help but marvel at, or be concerned by the lack of a visible police station. This wasn't Pallet Town, the place where dirt roads were commonplace and the town policed itself. This was a small city, he should have seen some type of security, right?

"Of course." Perhaps N didn't realize it, but that was one of the most pretentious answers Ash had ever heard to anything, and he was friends with Gary.

Ash saw Hilda twitch and grabbed her arm.

N seemed to tilt his head. "That is the main problem with trainers," he said, voice smooth. It was almost oily. "For if you lacked Pokeballs, if you did not force superiority and befriended your Pokemon, you would be able to understand them. You wouldn't force them to fight."

Ash shook his head. There was so much wrong with those words, so much wrong with the  _whole thing_. What did this guy know? What did he know of the nights spent coaxing Pikachu to stir the soup when he was too sick to even lift the bowl, of teaching Growlithe to aim his Ember using his meager spending money for frisbees? What did he know of their desperate cooking lessons that succeeded in so much stew and soft food, being a heating pad for a dying woman?

That wouldn't have happened if he hadn't taken them in, and he would not be here if it wasn't for them. They would have been put down like the wild Nidorino who left an entire flock of Pidgey half dead in Viridian Forest when he was a child.

Ash took a deep breath, then a second, then a third. When he could see beyond red, he noticed the way Pikachu was sparking, burning with rage that almost made his electricity blue. N was regarding him like he was an interesting puzzle.

"Your Pokemon is saying something strange."

"Is he saying you're wrong?" Ash pulled his fingers from Hilda's wrist. She rubbed it with a mocking glare. Ash didn't seem to see it. He moved forward, moving Growlithe's Pokeball to rest on his palm. Ralts' Pokeball shivered, glowing pink. He stroked it gently. "Is he saying you don't get it? Because he's right. You don't."

Pikachu squeaked a snarled agreement. Growlithe burst from his ball, each fur glowing in the sun.

N took a single step back. As he did, a purple cat wound its way around his legs. "Prove it. Let me here your Pokemon say it."

How could he refuse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get to write N! I get to write N! Sorry I love writing this guy. And i get to write him all crazy too! Yay!
> 
> So, so sorry this is a couple days late. I meant to post it a while ago but when I was working on it, I lacked internet, and my browser kept crashing. So, to apologize properly, here is a longer chapter! And next time, a fight. I was originally going to introduce Hilda fighting Ash, but I figured her being crazy enough to fly around in a really bad storm was fun enough! So please let me know what you think guys!


	12. the wish

Pikachu muttered something and reached for Ash's belt. They had wandered to the open field below. Ash looked down at him as he clawed for Growlithe's ball. "You sure?" Pikachu nodded and Ash felt the heat of his friend's fury shaking the air as he stopped just by Ash's toes. He grinned. "All right!"

He nodded to his puppy, who instantly started to growl at the imposing N. N didn't step back, didn't even seem to react. A small purple cat wound its way from behind his legs. She sat up on her back paws and purred.

"Now then, let me hear it." N's monotone voice slowed a little. "That Growlithe's voice!"

Growlithe barked and growled, round ears straight up. From by Ash's ankle, Pikachu let out a derisive squeak. Ash recognized that as something like trash talk. Probably like:  _you're going to hear his voice so much you'll get an ear infection._

He tried not to smile. His friends were great. "Growlithe, ready?" He got a bark in answer and Ash grinned. Yeah, he was a real trainer, a real fighter. He regarded his opponent. Its right paw was raised, that smirk wasn't just there for show. Probably Dark-type, clever and quick. Poor defense maybe? Looked like it. Well, to test that…

"Ember!"

"Night Slash."

Did N sound bored? His Pokemon didn't look it, that little creature was leaping and dodging each fireball. One hit, striking her tail. She yowled but pressed forward, striking towards Growlithe with an arc of darkness from her paw. He took it right in the jaw and winced but grabbed her by the leg, throwing her about and shaking her. The Purrloin yowled and screeched in pain and Growlithe threw her to skid near N's feet.

N made a strange noise with his throat. "Your Pokemon's voice is so savage… did you cause that?"

"Maybe." Ash wanted to scream as Growlithe paced back to stand in front of him once again. This was a Pokemon battle. What were you supposed to do?

Purrloin rose, shaking herself. She limped to move again. She was trying to smirk, but the green eyes were wide and dilated. Pikachu was getting ketchup on his apples tonight, a cat and dog fight was nothing to mess with.

"Wild Charge!" Ash ordered. Electricity, so foreign to a Fire-type, bunched up around his legs and covering the dog's body.

N's eyes widened a little. "You're hurting him!" he cried. "Sucker Punch, Purrloin!"

Purrloin managed a nod, running over and making a flying leap. She struck Growlithe right in the back and the dog yelped in pain.

"You okay," Ash called. In answer, Growlithe rolled, making to his feet and charging to knock the cat to the side. As he charged towards the fleeing cat, he shot a fireball then another, then the flames surrounded him.

"Left!" N's shout came too late as Growlithe rushed into her. She zigzagged from the next attack, yelping. Then he caught her, knocking her into a nearby bush. Hilda whistled.

"I don't think he should keep going."

Growlithe barked and growled, the flames fading into the air as he stalked towards the bush. His eyes glimmered.

N moved in between them. "Stop!" he said. "You've hurt my friend, enough!"

Growlithe continued to growl, moving even closer.

Ash hesitated. He didn't want to just let Growlithe rip N's face off, but he was still seeing red. Then he exhaled. "Return Growlithe," he said. "That was awesome… come on back now, okay?"

Growlithe stared at his opponent with rage, but when Ash called again, he turned away, trotting back to Ash with a wagging tail and bright eyes. Ash knelt to pick him up, laughing at the enthusiastic face-washing. "Yeah, yeah, you were awesome, stop!"

"How can you be happy?" N had picked up the unconscious Purrloin. "Can't you see? These battles are cruel. Look at her! Look at what humans do!" He held out the Pokemon for Ash to see. Ash swallowed, wetting his lips.

Before he could speak, Hilda did. "Yeah, they hurt each other. You think they don't do that normally? You think if humans weren't around, those two wouldn't have met and hated the sight of each other. The world's fulla fights, and you're fulla yourself. Beat it already, you sore loser." Each word brought her closer to N, close enough to be poking him in the chest by the end of it. "Ash won, his Growlithe protected him. You don't like it, tough."

N stared at her. "You're both brainwashed…"

"Look in a mirror," she said, arms crossed.

N shook his head. "I don't understand. I need to see more. I need to… need to solve it…" He turned and hurried away, muttering to himself.

Ash watched him go, then turned to Hilda. "Uh… thanks."

Hilda grinned. "Gotta stand up for yourself more. C'mon, let's get going."

"To…?"

"Striaton." Hilda stretched. "There's a Gym. We're trainers. Wanna tackle it?"


	13. the meal

"Wh-whoa…."Ash paused to take a breath. "This tea is amazing!" His ears burned but it was really good!

"Right?" Hilda winked, cutting into her meat. "You ought to actually eat your food, ya know. That's what it's there for."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I've been cooking for myself for years, let me savor the moment of someone else doing it that I don't even know." He cut a slice. Meat was rarely his thing but he could appreciate it if he didn't have to cook it.

Hilda huffed at his comment, watching him chew slowly. What was the point of doing things at that rate? She looked down at the Pokemon, who seemed happy to gorge themselves. "You guys know how it's done!"

Ash tried not to laugh too loudly. "Just cause you see it that way doesn't mean everyone else does. Besides, it'd look bad if I met this Juniper person and looked like I was raised in a barn."

Hilda waved a flippant hand. "Doubt she'd care. The professor gave  _me_ a Pokedex and you see how I am."

Ash did laugh this time. "Comforting, I guess." She was a little kooky, but she was still following him around and wasn't annoyed by his constant need to stop and look at  _everything_.

"Is everyone doing all right over here?"

Ash dropped his fork and almost swore. He had never gotten used to sudden movement in fancier restaurants. He was way too used to loud noise. "W-We're fine," he assured the waiter, who hid his smile behind his blue hair. "Thanks."

Hilda chortled and the waiter smiled. "Don't worry, we're used to that." He refilled their tea cups. "Would I be correct in assuming you each want a battle after your meal?"

"You'd be assuming right, Cress," Hilda chirped. "Too bad we all can't go at it, huh? How's Cilan's Pansage?"

Cress chortled. "Still under Dream Mist. According to Fennel, it will be another couple of days. Don't worry, Chili and I are in top form."

Hilda pumped a fist. "All right!"

Ash grinned in agreement. He was right there with her. His first Gym badge… awesome.

He dug more quickly into his food, causing Hilda to laugh. "See, that's how you oughta do it." She paused to pick up her phone. "Ah, Juniper should be here soon. Let's get these battles going and show her our stuff!"

"I'll toast to that!" Ash lifted his cup and his Pokemon let out unified cheers.

Cress smiled. "Then we will go and prepare the battlefield. Please leave your tip on the table, the three of us will be waiting for you when you have finished."

Ash bounced in his seat, excitement thrumming his nerves. Finally, something  _normal_. A Gym battle! He was gonna go all out with his partners, earn a badge, and be one step closer to the League stage.

It was gonna be a piece of cake!

* * *

The stage was simple, the few tables surrounding it draped in white and the ground plain and without obstacles. Good. Ash had a nimble team. They could still have that used against them pretty easily. He looked at his three mains, watching Pikachu balance on his front paws. He knew only what the Pokedex said about the elemental monkeys, and that was just enough to tell him playing to the Grass-Fire-Water triangle was a dangerous and risky endeavor that, while it'd be fun, it wouldn't win him any points.

So. right now, he was going to be clever.

He knelt down to pat his Ralts' head. She cooed at the touch. Hilda and Rufflet were dancing around each other, spinning and dodging and doing a few stretches.

Ash waited for her to get dizzy.

"All riiiiggghhhhtt!" roared a voice from the other side of the field. Chili leaped into view, hands clenched into eager fists. "Are you ready to go? This is gonna be a double battle, you guys vs me and Cress. Ya'll can switch if you wanna, but you'd better be ready for the heat!" Cress smiled sheepishly as he joined his brother

Ash looked over at Hilda, who shrugged. "They sometimes do this kind of stuff," she said with a shrug. "It gets a bigger crowd, so more tips and all. You in?" Rufflet alighted onto her arm. Ash thought about it, then he nodded.

"Let's go." He pumped his fist as Cress made his way to the challenger's box.

From the podium, Cilan raised the flags. "Get ready!"

"I think I was born ready," Chili muttered under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the absence! Bit of a transfer chapter here as we rush right into the Gym scene and get to it! It's been a bit... well, let's just say I've had little urge to jump into Pokemon for a bit and leave it there. But due to some good news, I am back in the game! Here we go


	14. the first battle

Patrats scurried across the field, lunging for Rufflet and Ralts with tiny sharp claws. Ash called out an order and Ralts paused. She wasn't fast. This wasn't exactly a great fight for her. Ralts weren't physical. He knew that. Rufflet, however, were, and considering this one had the ability to carry a human with ease, the first half of this fight might go easy. He glanced at Hilda, who had her eyes locked on the field. He made a motion with his head and she blinked, staring at him with a tilted head for a few seconds. They had never really worked together before so this could always end in disaster. but, well, you wouldn't know until you tried!

Hilda grinned and shouted. "Ruff-ruff, pick up a passenger!"

 _Pick a nickname,_  Ash couldn't help but think, laughing a little. Rufflet swooped down, scooping up Ralts onto his back. She squeaked but then stopped, eyes narrowing under her helmet. The Patrat changed stances, one pausing.

Chili smirked. "Look bro, a two-Pidgey-with-one-Rock Throw- special."

Cress sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're so crude. Patrat, Bite and Bide!"

One Patrat stopped, crouching in the air. The other leaped for Ralts. Rufflet squawked and batted him away with a wing.

Chili rolled his eyes. "Like that's gonna be enough! Go on, get 'em!"

The Patrat tackled Ralts off of her perch and the Pokemon squeaked, teleporting from view to behind the other Patrat.

Ash and Hilda looked at each other. "Unbalance it?" he asked.

Hilda nodded. "Read my mind. Ruff-ruff, kick it up!"

Her Rufflet moved (but Ash swore he stopped to roll his eyes) and charged, beak aglow. He stabbed it into Patrat's head, attacking furiously. The Patrat winced and winced, bunching up into a smaller ball.

"Patrat, Bite!" Chili yelled and the other lunged for the immobile Ralts. She squeaked and dodged, confusion waves bursting from her horns. It rolled backwards and Ash resisted the urge to pump his fist into the air.

"Sing out, Ralts! Disarming Voice!"

Ralts opens her mouth and lets out a near-deafening shriek. Pikachu covers his ears by Ash's foot. Purple hearts fly from in front of the Pokemon's lips, slamming into Patrat with the force of a small boulder. he tumbled into his friend. Rufflet yelped and darted away, indignant noises leaving his beak.

Hilda giggled and Ash laughed. Then she sobered. "Ruff-ruff, up, up!"

Ash frowned, scanning the field. Then he remembered the Patrat biding. Rufflet's earlier attacks had rolled it to the other side of the field. It was starting to glow white-hot.

Crap. He had no clue how to counter a Bide strategy. The only thing he had ever found was to overwhelm it before it could unleash the energy but these were Patrat. Anything he had researched on them said those things were stubborn. He shot Hilda a worried glance.

Hilda, however, didn't seem too concerned, barring the sweat dripping down her forehead. "Ruff, take our friend for a ride! Sky Drop!"

"The heck is that," Ash muttered. He really needed to look into more recently discovered moves. He was still reading through Sinnoh's catalog.

Rufflet arced in the sky and Cress snorted. "Not a chance! Tackle!"

"Confusion," Ash barked hurriedly.

Patrat winced in pain but hit Rufflet, sending him spiraling. Rufflet squawked and caught himself, diving and managing to sink his large talons into Patrat. He lifted the chipmunk up by the spine and soared up towards the ceiling.

Cress winced as Chili grimaced at them. "That's so sweet! Where'd you get a move like that!" The redhead asked. His fingers were already on another Pokeball.

Hilda, however, looked less pleased all of a sudden. "Dad," she said simply before she bounced back up. "Ruff, give them a smackdown!"

Rufflet dove, eyes fixed on the other fleeing patrat. The one in his talons was almost blinding now. He threw one at the other, bowling them into each other. Right then, the Bide exploded. Even Ralts, having been desperately trying to teleport to a safe vantage point, was hit with it.

When the light faded, bone of the Patrat was unconscious, the other stumbling. Rufflet bobbed awkwardly in the air for a moment, making it over to a drooping Ralts.

Ash felt his shoulders sag a little. All right, so far so good.

"Not bad," Cress said with a smile. He tossed his Pokeball. "Ready Chili?"

Chili grinned, and the expression was a bit nasty on his previously delighted face. "Retaliate."

Patrat caught himself and lunged forward. Ash blinked in surprise as the small rat, formerly too dizzy to make any sort of attack, slammed Ralts into Rufflet and sent them both flying into one of the tables.

Neither Pokemon rose as a little red monkey took the stage.

Ash whistled. He had just jinxed it, hadn't he?


	15. the first battle zwei

Pikachu didn't wait for Ash to say anything, instead rushing across the field in a Quick Attack, slamming into Patrat and throwing him across the battlefield. It skidded to a halt on the floor and Pikachu raced back by Ash's side, out of the line of fire. Unfortunately, Pikachu did not notice its opponent's eyes on his back. The blue monkey let out a burst of scalding water from its mouth and it struck Pikachu, sending him rolling. A blue and white otter caught him and shoved him up on his feet. The Pokemon saluted with its shell as Pikachu straightened himself. Pikachu blinked and saluted back. The smirk on his face made Ash roll his eyes.

"Guys, focus!" He set his shoulders. "We need to separa- Pikachu, dodge!"

Pikachu squeaked and rolled to the side as a red blur hit the ground. The red monkey slammed and cracked the floor, whining its pain. Then it shook itself and stood up again, grinning like there hadn't been a hit in the first place.

"Ah damn," Chili scratched his head. "Guess it could only work once."

"Could work again if we're not careful," Ash muttered, noting the way the two monkeys moved to stand back-to back. Pikachu ran in front of his feet, cheeks sparking. The sea otter scurried back to them, sharp shell at the ready. He grimaced. This… was a disadvantage. That red one was clearly a Fire type. Pikachu could damage him but it wouldn't be the same as if they hit the blue monkey, Ash was sure of that. Still. "Hilda, your Pokemon, it's a close-ranged fighter?"

Hilda nodded. "He's got a couple of special attacks but Ocean's a physical kind of guy. Pansear and Panpour aren't fans." Said 'Ocean' puffed out his chest.

Her nicknames really left something to be desired, but he could wonder about that naming sense later. Right now, they had to focus on getting through this fight all right "Kay, so… it's probably pointless for us to separate the two of them, they expect that… so…" Ash thought a moment. "Hilda, we need to drench this place." He just had to hope that Oshawott could jump high or this would make him feel bad.

Hilda grinned widely. Had she really just gotten an idea from that? Well, he couldn't complain. "Sweet! Aqua Jet, zoom!"

Oshawott jumped to obey, leaping into the air and zooming forward in a burst of water.

Cress smiled. "Counter with a jumping Tackle!" Panpour jumped to obey, only for Pikachu to tackle it out of the air. The water splashed harmlessly across the battlefield, soaking in and seeping into the cracks.

"Again!" Hilda cried, pumping her fist into the air.

Chili grinned and gave a whistle. Pansear blasted fire into Pikachu's back. Pikachu screeched and rolled, hitting him in the face with his tail. Oshawott zoomed back undeterred, clipping Pansear in the back of the head as he did. The Pokemon squeaked and moved to counter, only to miss. Pikachu still skidded to a halt, plopping on his bottom. He kept his tail aloft and charged forward again. The monkeys made it close to each other once again and, in unison, they released fire and water, smacking their respective opponents to the wall, hard. Ocean and Pikachu groaned, making their way back up on their hind paws.

Ash grimaced. They just needed to take out one before those guys tried to get that again. "Thundershock!"

The energy burst out in jagged light from Pikachu's cheeks and tail, slamming into both Pokemon and sparking into the water. Ocean squeaked and jumped into the air, barely avoiding stray shocks. Panpour shrieked pain and dropped to the ground, eyes spinning. Cress grimaced.

"Oh darn," he murmured. "Can you finish them off Chili?"

Chili pumped a fist and punched the air. "I can get a good shot at least. Retaliate!"

Pansear glimmered and practically vanished. Then he hit Pikachu hard across the room before Ash could call a warning. Pikachu collapsed, unmoving, falling from the small crater in the wall.

Ash almost swore. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. He didn't like this, leaving his fate in someone else's hands. Granted, it was one Gym battle and he could try again if he lost, but still. He almost wished he had a water type of his own to take care of things. He turned to Hilda. "You got this?"

Hilda smirked and the smirk made him laugh. "What do you think?" She turned, ducking her eyes under the brim of her cap. "Ocean, Razor Shell!"

Oshawott lunged, raising his scalchop and letting it glow blue. It flashed as he swung. Pansear blocked and Oshawott made himself spin in midair, swinging again. Pansear leaped to the side and kept dodging before licking Oshawott right on the cheek. Oshawott shuddered and wrinkled his button nose. Then he hit Pansear in the face with one paw. Pansear stepped back and let fire out from his mouth. Oshawott hissed in pain and blasted a water gun to counter it. Pansear flew back rolling across the floor.

"Get up! You can do it!" Chili sounded so cheerful, even as his Pokemon struggled to his feet.

"Don't let it!" Hilda's eyes grew brighter and brighter and all Ash could think was how happy she looked in the thick of the fight and how much fun it all was. There was never a dull moment for a Champion, was there?

Well, he wasn't a Champion yet.

He turned his gaze back to the fight as Oshawott and Pansear danced around the gradually dampening stage. He needed to watch and learn, and fight more with his friends. He was lucky this was a double battle. He wouldn't be so lucky next time.

A gentle blue glow wrapped around Ocean's body after another hit knocked him into a puddle., then he threw himself forward and slashed down Pansear's face with the scalchop. It let out a wail of pain and collapsed, finally done.

A weight uncoiled from Ash's chest and he and Hilda had exchanged high-fives.

That could have gone worse.


	16. the translation

"Growlithe, use roar!"

For a puppy, Growlithe could certainly _sound_ like a deadly adult canine. His roar almost made the leaves tremble and fly off of the branches. It took all of Ocean's willpower not to immediately retreat on sight. He didn't, and Growlithe whined in disappointment. Then Ash nodded and his Pokemon lunged forward, crashing into the Oshawott before he could swipe his shell. His head smacked wetly against the water, but it was less damage than it had been the last time. Growlithe scrambled away, throwing fireballs and making the Oshawott stumble. They weren't doing much, were they?

Oshawott made a noise that was probably something of a swear word and lunged for him. Growlithe sank his teeth into a flipper, earning an interesting shriek of noise.

Hilda winced. "Careful, poochy! He needs those." Ocean whined his agreement, waddling back to her to have it looked at. Growlithe's tail wagged smugly. That training match was over then. Sheesh.

Ash knelt at Growlithe's side. "You need to work on your self-control," he scolded, poking his puppy in the nose. "Otherwise, no fire stone for you."

Growlithe whined at that, and Pikachu snorted, looking away from where he was shocking berries down to the ground. He cut them up with his tail, offering them to Rufflet. The bird nipped at his ear in reply before taking a few slices. Ash was surprised the bird didn't get shocked.

Hilda laughed, fanning herself and the bite with her hat. "Don't hold his evolution out on him."

Ash grinned, but the expression was weak. "I just don't want him to evolve and get super strong and also be super crazy. Evolutions already change personality enough as it is." He pet Growlithe's back. The pup whined happily and let himself be pet, or rather, tried to get more pets. Dogs were greedy. He had learned that most canine Pokemon were. You could never fully train them out of it.

"There is that." Hilda stretched, picking up a water bottle from her bag. She threw it at him and laughed at its near-miss of his nose. "There's some guy I saw on TV who got a Charmander from some jerk. He treated the little guy with love and respect, and then when the guy became a Charmeleon and higher, he was just impossible to work with."

"Yeah?" Ash rolled over from where he and Growlithe had decided to lay in the sand, interested. He had always wanted a Charmander, and when he had first started working at the restaurant, had studied them as much as he could. They were more useful than Growlithe at passing out food, but weren't quite as good in a kitchen. Too much fire. "What happened?"

"Well, the guy almost had the charizard put down." Hilda tutted and rolled her eyes. "It took a certified trainer coming down and checking on things to put it all to rest. They've all been working together in some secret place for Charizard and other semi-dragons in Johto since then."

"Really?" Ash scowled. "That's ridiculous!" Ralts made an agreeing coo where she sat on a tree root. "It's not the Charizard's fault the guy couldn't train him."

Hilda agreed and yawned. "Yeah, it ain't. But it's not like the guy could have known what he was getting into. He must have underestimated the extent of what the former trainer had done to the critter." She sighed. "It's people like that that make those weirdos like Plasma and N get a say in stuff."

Ash frowned and looked at the Pokemon around him. The problem wasn't that they were wrong, Ash thought to himself. The problem was that they weren't always right.

He wondered what his mother would say about those sorts of people.

* * *

When Ash opened his eyes, having been enjoying a nice nap, he was standing in a field of grey clouds. Lightning sparked around him, even beneath his feet. He was alone. Then bright, crimson eyes peered down from the clouds.

 _"You did not leave."_ He didn't recognize that voice immediately. He remembered its roar, frightened and angry. _"The storm was not enough to stave off your curiosity."_

"I don't have the money to leave," Ash admitted. Which was the truth. A professor would only pay for your trip to the new region. You had to earn your way back or go to a different one. The only exception was if it was for League business. "And what's it to you anyway?" He raised a fist. "You could have killed an entire group of people and Pokemon with that stunt!"

_"A minor setback compared to what could be!"_

"It is not!" Ash's fists clenched. "Who the heck are you anyway, making comments like that?"

 _"I?"_ Blue electricity struck at his chest and he screamed. _"I am Zekrom! And I will not allow you and yours to wage war any further!"_

The bolt changed to a heavy shove and Ash found himself tumbling through a stormy sky, the ground nowhere in sight.


	17. the waves

Ash woke with a groan of pain, finding himself… exactly where he had fallen asleep at. So much for being in the sky. Growlithe snuffled and grumbled at him, nosing at his face in both concern and exasperation. He pet the white tuft and earned a nip on the fingers for his trouble. "What?" Growlithe nipped again and nudged him with his nose. Ash turned his head to find Hilda asleep. She was also sweating profusely, skin flushed with a full-body fever.

Ash rubbed his eyes, managing to snap out of his panicked daze. He reached and grabbed Rufflet's Pokeball. He wasn't going to panic. He wasn't going to leave Hilda and panic like-

"Go!" The Rufflet appeared in a shower of light, head tilted in concern. "Hilda's all hot! Can you find some help?"

Rufflet bobbed his head and took off, flapping his tiny wings. Ash forced the trembling to stop in his hands and arms, fumbling Ocean's ball and releasing him. "Can you help me try and bring her fever down?"

Ocean saluted, beginning to wet cloths and pass them over Ash worked quickly, thinking of his mother's unconscious state on their kitchen floor those years ago. He pulled Hilda's hat off and felt her pulse. Fast, almost too fast. He placed the cloth over her forehead and worked to wipe down any bare skin.

He was fourteen years old; he knew the implications people would have. He didn't care. Hilda was his friend, they had won a badge together. He was going to help figure out what was wrong with her.

 _"You did not leave,"_ Zekrom's accusing voice hissed into his ear. Ash ignored it. It wasn't his fault. This was something else. She was just hot, that was all.

"C'mon, you're tough," he muttered to Hilda. He moved to brush her hair out of the way so he could get at her neck. Then, he fell backwards, gripping his head. An image flashed in his brain, thick like clotted cream.

A white dragon engulfed in flames. No, it wasn't on fire, it was trying to set _Hilda_ on fire.

He shied away at Pikachu's sharp tail jabbing at his ear. Had to focus. Could worry about that when she didn't look like she would burn to a crisp from the inside out. Her breaths left her in shallow gasps and Ash winced. He wiped his hair from his eyes and got another cloth.

He really hoped Rufflet was flying with all the speed his tiny wings had.

* * *

Ash didn't sit down until Hilda was safely on preschool mats and breathing easier. The tiny kids crowded around them both, little preschoolers who had never seen a Pikachu or a Growlithe or admired tough birds like Rufflet. He tried to pay attention to them, but he worried about Hilda too much to be all that great at it.

Thankfully, Growlithe and Pikachu were attention-spoink so they were easy to teach the kids how to play and handle Pokemon. A couple Frisbees were burnt, but no harm done.

The nurse gave Hilda one last concerned look. "She'll be all right." Her voice didn't waver and Ash respected her for that."I think it's likely a bit of heat stroke. We'll leave her a bucket in case she vomits."

Ash nodded quickly. "Thank you so much." When the woman left, his smile dropped. This wasn't any heat stroke that he had ever seen. He doubted it was what had happened to his mom, but he didn't know Hilda's medical history.

"How am I gonna handle if it's that?" he muttered to himself. "We're the same age and…"

And she was tough and funny and had a big dream like he did, whatever that dream was. Even though they'd only known each other for a couple of weeks now, they were friends.

If it wasn't some disease, what was happening then? Did it have to do with the white dragon he had seen? Or Zekrom's screaming?

Ash shook his head and checked the dampness of the cloth. He would have to find out when she woke up, he supposed.

If she did.


	18. the warmth

Hilda woke distinctly _not_ on the ground. She was on a soft, padded, sort of something, like the preschool she had been plopped in by her dad before everything had gone distinctly pear-shaped in her life. She also no longer felt like she was boiling in every cell, which was a welcome relief. So she figured it wasn't too bad, all things considered. She opened her eyes slowly to see a darkened room. Rufflet hopped over to her, wings fluttering carefully. Was someone else asleep here? She shifted a little as Ruff-Ruff (He just wouldn't accept that name, so she would call him everything under the sun if she had to.) pecked gently at her hand.

"Sorry," she murmured, knowing. The dream danced at the edge of her mind, the white dragon touching at the corner of a spherical soul. Thinking about it made her sweat. She had never thought the dragons would take interest in someone like her. She was just like any other trainer, right?

Then again, any other trainer would probably not have just been mocked by Reshiram, Lord of Truth, in their sleep. It was exhilarating… and kind of humbling. She only had one badge. It wasn't like she could prove him wrong yet.

Hilda turned her head, looking at the thin blanket covering her. Somehow she wasn't cold. Well, not that she was complaining. On her other side, however, was Ash. He was asleep on his side, his Growlithe between them like a fluffy stuffed animal. Pikachu was asleep on his stomach. Hilda flitted her eyes around again to find Ralts, her little helmeted head on Ocean's side as they laid against her side.

The guilt bubbled up to her throat, and Hilda swallowed it. It wasn't like it was her fault Reshiram had caused her to make them worry…. Wow that was a really weird sentence. Ah well. In any case, she would be fine after some rest and and tomorrow they could continue their journey. She just… had to rest a little longer.

Hilda dozed off so quickly that she missed Ash's breathing ease just a little in his sleep.

* * *

She was woken by the sounds of children playing in a yard and what seemed like an argument between Ocean and Pikachu. She had no clue what it meant, but she could interpret squeaks as well as any trainer and they sounded like they were trying to be as quiet as possible while being loud to prove that they were right. Bianca and Cheren had been just like that sometimes, mostly Bianca being the louder one. She wondered how they were doing.

Ash turned his head from where he was brushing his Growlithe. "Hilda! You're all right!"

"Hungry actually," she said with a small grin. "But yeah, I'm all right. Thanks… what happened?"

Ash gestured for Growlithe, who let out a low bark and left the room, running outside to the squeals of delight from outside, which only grew louder. She grinned, though the expression faded when Ash spoke. "We took a nap, I guess, had a weird dream…" Ash shook his head. "But when I woke up, you were all hot. I thought you were burning up. So I had the Pokemon get us some help, and we're at this preschool. Santalune was too far for a fever they said. But you're awake now and it's probably broken, so you should be okay."

She flexed an arm. "Course! No fever is gonna stop me from fighting you in Victory Road!" Ash let out a weary laugh and she sobered. "It was super hot though. In my dream i mean. There was a dragon there, so that was probably why, but still. He laughed at me."

Ash had already tensed up at the word 'dragon', but it relaxed to be replaced with curiosity. Ralts' horns glowed with it, with the lines in his face. "Laughed?"

Hilda nodded. "Yeah. He's so sure that I'm failing at something. Think I've seen a picture of him before too. Like a painting." She shook her head, deciding not to mention she knew exactly who it was. She didn't even know why it had happened anyway. "You'd think I would remember since I lived all over this hunk of earth that I'd remember these things." She shook her head. "He seemed super old though, so maybe the museum will have something."

Ash's shoulders slumped. "Yeah… maybe." Hilda frowned at him, and Ash hurried to smile "I'm okay, really! I'm just relieved you're okay. You had the fever and all and…" He trailed off, face growing warm. "I'm gonna go see what's taking Growlithe so long. The manager of this place said he wanted to see you." He hurried out before Hilda could question him.

Hilda raised an eyebrow and looked at the other Pokemon. "Well, that was weird."

Pikachu yawned at her.


	19. the hatchery

Hilda squinted at the sunlight for a moment. Then she rubbed her eyes. Honestly, it wasn't that serious. It was just a bit too bright, especially after that weirdo dragon guy. What was his deal anyway? She couldn't wait to get to the museum. Or at least to a Pokemon Center with some AC. She'd need to see if her old preschool still at least had the box fans or something, she was roasting.

"You guys feeling the heat too?" she asked the scattered Pokemon. Pikachu, who she had quickly discovered was the stoic of the group, shrugged and trotted out to where Ash was. Ash, of course, was surrounded by kids. He was probably teaching them or failing to or something. Whatever it was, it was probably good no one was interested in her right now. She sat outside beneath the awning as Ruff-Ruff and Ocean chased after her. Ocean had his head directed towards the sky, squirting water from his mouth. Well, at least it wasn't just her.

"Miss! Miss!"

Hilda looked down from where she was fanning herself with her hat to see a tiny girl in blue clothes and a yellow hat. She knew those clothes pretty well. "Heya," she greeted. "What's up?"

The little girl tugged on her red pigtails. "I-" She paused. "I found something super cool behind the school."

"Yeah?" It was probably just a rare berry tree or something, but the little kid seemed intent on bringing it up to her for some reason. Probably because she was older, not held down by the crowd like Ash was.

She nodded. "Yep, yep. It looked like a bunch of pokemon eggs. And there were a couple adults in this silvery stuff. It looked hot. They were going over to that cave thingy."

Hilda paused. Sounded a bit like Team Plasma. "Okeydoke," she said because worse came to worse, it was just a fun, harmless prank. "Get Ash over here and the two of us will go look okay?"

She watched the tiny girl's face, desire to help warring with the respect of adults. Then she turned and scampered away.

Hilda exhaled and whistled for her Pokemon. Ocean and Ruff-Ruff hurried over. "Let's go look, okay?"

They let out their own agreeing chirps and settled to follow. Ash's Pikachu, having decided following her was saner, followed lazily. He was probably leaving a beacon for Ash. What a tsundere.

She kept walking, out of the preschool and towards the road. Hilda wanted to run, but her body was still sore from the effects of her dream. That totally wasn't a weird sentence to think. She relaxed at the coolness of the cave, pausing at all three Pokemon going rigid. She stopped as quietly as possible. Feet scraped against cave floor and whispers followed them. Hilda nodded to herself, moving quietly. She didn't like not running in there, but that didn't mean she had the energy to do it.

"We seriously have to move _all_ of these eggs."

"A new generation must be born without the effects of human hands." the second voice was infinitely more at ease than the first, almost fanatic in its understanding. "and without the guidance of its parents, corrupted by us as they are."

"Still! That's kinda cruel. No one made us leave our parents."

"Progress is sometimes made on a rough road."

Hilda moved around a rock and peered out. Only two guards. Hmph. She grinned. Shouldn't be too hard.

"Ruff, dive em. Ocean, cut their legs!"

Both leaped to obey. Normally, she would have hesitated a little to attack the humans. Pokemon were considered dangerous for a reason. But they had to be incapacitated somehow, right?

Hilda took their yelps of pain and hurried on towards the pile of eggs left on the ground. She winced. There was no way her Pokemon could hold them back long enough for her to get them all out.

Pikachu appeared from behind her from whereever he had come from, crawling to push one ahead of him. She grinned and nodded. Ash would be here any minute. She really needed to stop trying to do things by herself. She picked up a couple, and then pain raced up her chest. She coughed and hit the ground on one knee. A shadow rose over her, which from what she could tell was a flying Herdier, at least judging by the frantic yowling. She raised her hands to block and-

"Osha!" Flying shell went slicing into her attacker's face, followed by…. Another scalchop. Then a bluer otter smashed his tiny paw down.

He landed on the cave floor, weapons in hand and arms crossed. "Dewott!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. I have finally really started deviating and this chapter is like: nope, nah, frick you, not writing me. Seriously. But, it's back and soon that means back to Ash-centric chapters again. Next chapter as a matter of fact. Thanks for your patience!


	20. the school

Ash stopped mid-run, covering his eyes from the flash of light. Granted, this was dangerous, but this was why Arceus had helped with the invention of the Pikachu. Pikachu jumped right back into the fray within seconds, slamming into Swadloon and Purrloin. The light died down quickly enough and Ash lowered his hands. Then he released Ralts. She cooed at him, looking puzzled. Her horns started to shine. An angry frown crossed her face and Ash smiled.

"Yeah, there's some real jerks in here," he said, trying to control the thumping of his chest. "think you can make a real quick wall so they can't get out?"

Ralts saluted and Ash released Growlithe. "Come on, let's go." He earned a delighted yip, which probably should have disturbed him, but did not. Instead they hurried in, leading into Ash smacking into one of the strange men. They yelped and a Patrat flew into his face. Growlithe leaped on top of if, biting and shaking it until throwing it aside. Ash grimaced. Growlithe's ferocity was going to come back to bite him someday, literally, if he wasn't careful.

"Pikapi!"

Ash turned towards the sound of water splashing the ground and spun to almost fall over. A Poliwhirl stood in the way. He wanted to question why a somewhat uncommon Kanto Pokemon was here but he had to focus on dodging a Mega Punch instead. He yelped and toppled backwards onto his rear end as the Pokemon leaped towards him. Pikachu's electricity shot it down, leaving it twitching on the ground.

"Th-Thanks," he managed, standing up again. He had to get to Hilda. If that light of evolution came from one of her Pokemon, she was probably okay, but still. He hurried deeper into the cave and found himself staring at Hilda and a bigger blue otter. Said otter raised his weapons and rushed forward, towards a taller bug, on his Pokedex informed him was a Leavanny. A fully evolved bug and grass type against a freshly evolved water type. Probably Ocean. No, that was a risk. Couldn't have a lot of those, not when anything could be dangerous, not when anything was.

"Growlithe," he whispered. "Go."

His puppy did so, releasing fireballs as quickly as possible. Leavanny staggered, leaving Ash room to run to Hilda.

"You okay?" he asked. She gave him a weird look, somewhat of a scowl.

She shook her head and banished it. "Yeah! The eggs are safe so far, though we may need a wheelbarrow to carry them all."

"Ralts can carry them when we have these knight guys locked up,"Ash said.

Hilda blinked, frowning again. "Oh, yeah, that's true." her expression still seemed a little too unhappy, but Ash had to turn away from it at the sound of Growlithe's yelping of pain. He dodged the next Leaf Blade, but he was still bleeding on his hind legs. Hilda barked out, "X-Scissor!" before Ash could even make a concerned sound

Her Pokemon hurried to obey, causing Leavanny to leap back and then Ash saw something gleaming in the faint light from Pikachu. Rufflet dove and Hilda threw herself towards the retreating guard.

"Sky Drop!" she called, attempting to wrestle said guard to a halt.

Even in this small space, the Rufflet was king of the air. He grabbed the Leavanny and hauled it up. Unfortunately due to the roof of the cave, he couldn't pull it up that far and dropped it just before it hit the roof. It crashed to the ground, mixing with Hilda's shout of triumph.

Ash felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly. But that had still been reckless. Dewott still could have gotten really hurt from type disadvantage and the Pokemon Center was still far away, too far to let the preschool have more than basic medicine.

It didn't help that she was looking at him like she knew that already.

* * *

When the Striaton Police had finally shown up and taken the apparent team plasma grunts away, Ash sagged against the fence of the preschool building.

"Well," he said, scratching a now calm Growlithe, "we beat up evil and saved the day."

"It was mostly me," Hilda said, holding one of the eggs. Professor Juniper was coming by to examine them tomorrow and had proclaimed they could each take one, which was nice. Ash had his against Growlithe's side, and t was probably all the warmer for it.

Ash laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I know, sorry. I just worried a little… okay a lot. I can't help it. Little stuff piles onto big stuff and big stuff becomes permanent. I can't help it."

Hilda sat quietly. "Yeah… I guess you can't." Her voice was quieter than usual, and even seemed bitter. "But I'm all right."

"Well yeah," Ash agreed because it was true right now. "But you could have not been. I mean you were all sick just yesterday. I mean…" He sighed. "Sorry."

"It's all right. You're just looking out for me." Her voice rang like the hollow Viridian church bells.

They sat quietly for a while as the sun went down and Ash thought that it really wasn't all right. Neither of them were all right.

He just hoped they could figure out how to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This fic is a bit experimental here but I'm gonna see what happens since the first seventeen updates or more are in my head. Note that I am not entirely up to date with the anime, but this is a bit intentional so I don't follow the anime word for word.
> 
> This is for the Diversity Writing Challenge, prompt M10. What if "example" happened? In this case, what if Ash's mother became sick before his journey began? Let's find out.


End file.
